Here are the superlative award winners for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Superlatives: Lloyd, Gonzales, Garcia take top spots
Here are our superlative award winners for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.
GAME RECAP: Wylie bounces back with 10-0 rout of Wichita Falls High
WICHITA FALLS — The Wylie baseball team rebounded from Tuesday’s loss at Wichita Falls Rider with a blowout win in the same location Friday, blasting Wichita Falls High 10-0 at Hoskins Field.
Dash Albus and Brooks Gay combined for a two-hit shutout, and seven Bulldog players had at least one hit as Wylie improved to 8-5 overall and 2-2 in District 4-5A action.
PHOTO GALLERY: Hurst Bell-Abilene High baseball (23 images)
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GAME STORY: Eagle rally comes up short in 4-3 home loss to Hurst Bell
An early 4-0 deficit proved too big a hole to climb out of for the Abilene High baseball team Friday, which saw a late rally come up short in a 4-3 loss to Hurst Bell at Blackburn Field.
The Eagles, who fell to 1-3 in District 3-6A play with the loss, scored two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to pull within a run heading into their final at-bat. But a double play erased a leadoff single in the seventh inning before AHS’ comeback hopes were officially dashed with a game-ending line out by Kallin Sipe.
PHOTO GALLERY: Bangs at Cisco baseball (20 images) 3-23-19
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GAME STORY: Cisco rallies to top Bangs with late run
CISCO — Even an unbeaten district leader is one good pitching performance away from being handed a loss.
Cisco nearly suffered that fate on Friday, when unheralded Bangs came to town and came within a run of toppling the district front-runners in a 3-2 win for the Loboes.
PHOTO GALLERY: Daniel Youngblood’s top 100 basketball photos from 2018-19
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PHOTO GALLERY: Evan Ren’s top 100 basketball photos from 2018-19
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. Our company watermark “BigCountryPreps.com” will be removed from all purchased photos.
BCP Podcast No. 38: Evan, Daniel discuss All-Big Country Preps basketball teams
In this week’s Capital Farm Credit Wednesday Night Podcast, Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood discuss the inaugural All-Big Country Preps boys and girls basketball teams, giving insight into the selection process and sharing their opinions the superlative award winners and first-tema selections.
To read more on this year’s selections, click the links below:
Evan Ren’s 2019 Big Country Gym Rat Team: The hardest workers in the area!
Following a basketball program on the surface can only provide one with so much insight. Behind the scenes, however, is where character is often measured. And it is with our Gym Rat Team that we wish to tip our caps to those individuals who exuded the most of it.
This team isn’t about who the best players are, though some of the area’s top players did make this list.
The Gym Rat team is about effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches love above all else and that championship foundations are built upon.
It is for that reason that our Gym Rat team is selected entirely by area coaches, described in their own words. And Big Country Preps is absolutely honored to present these individuals to you — the best “team players” (boys and girls) that the area had to offer during the 2018-19 season.
Players are listed in no particular order.
All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our first-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: First-Team Roster
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our second-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: Second-Team Roster
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Boys Basketball Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps boys basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
All-Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Team: Third-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)
Here are our third-team selections for the inaugural All-Big Country Preps girls basketball team. For the rest of this year’s boys and girls basketball selections, click the links below.
PHOTO GALLERY: Colorado City at Clyde softball (17 images)
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LOCAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Bell tops Abilene High 2-1 in extra innings
HURST — The Abilene High baseball team was limited to two hits for the third consecutive game in falling 2-1 to Hurst Bell in eight innings Tuesday in District 3-6A action.
The Eagles (12-5 overall, 1-2 District 3-6A) rallied to tie the game at 1 in the sixth inning, but the Blue Raiders got a two-out RBI single from Colin Ruby in the bottom of the eighth to win the game with an unearned run.
GAME STORY: Clyde girls solidify district lead with crucial win over C-City
CLYDE — It took the better part of six innings and some late Colorado City miscues, but the Clyde Lady Bulldogs cemented their status as the team to beat in District 5-3A with an 8-0 win on Tuesday.
Kaitlyn Turner tossed a five-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and Peyton Lee was 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead Clyde 16-4, 5-0, which took sole possession of first place with the win.
GAME RECAP: Washington tosses another no-no in AHS win over Weatherford
Senior ace Alyssa Washington threw her second consecutive no-hitter and the Abilene High softball team stayed perfect in District 3-6A play Tuesday with an 11-0 home win over Weatherford.
The Lady Bulldogs, who are now 16-1-2 overall and 5-0 in league action, opened up a 1-0 game with four runs in the third and six in the fourth to put the 10-run rule into effect.
GAME STORY: Wylie run rules Wichita Falls for first district win
Leading Wichita Falls High by just one one run after 4½ innings, the Wylie Lady Bulldogs exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth and four in the sixth to claim a 15-5 run-rule win Tuesday at Bulldog Field.
Wylie (6-14 overall) pounded out 19 hits and took advantage of five Wichita Falls errors in evening its record at 1-1 in District 4-5A play.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hawley’s George takes the top spot
Generally, an individual state championship will trump virtually any other performance at the local level in this column.
And this week, three of our nominees did exactly that, so you can imagine our dilemma in choosing our Player of the Week.
At the end of the day, it was Hawley powerlifter Britney George, who won the Class 2A state title in the 181-pound class with a performance for the ages.
BREAKING: Yeager resigns at De Leon
Big Country Preps has learned that De Leon football coach/athletic director David Yeager has handed in his resignation.
Yeager was 52-33 overall in seven years at De Leon, including a 9-5 mark last year.
He cited a desire to watch his son, Kevin, play collegiate football at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio as the primary reason for his departure.
Defensive coordinator Andy Dickson is believed to be a top candidate to replace Yeager as head coach.
“My wife and I have been thinking about this for a while and thought the time was right to end this chapter in De Leon and see what the future holds,” said Coach Yeager, who has an overall career record of 154-87. “We had seven great years here and many wonderful friends and memories made.”
GAME RECAP: Odessa High rallies past Wylie softball for walk-off win
ODESSA — A six-run first inning wasn’t enough to push the Wylie softball team to victory Friday at Odessa High, where the Lady Bronchos rallied past the Lady Bulldogs for a 9-8 walk-off win.
Trailing 7-5 after 5½ innings, OHS took its first lead with a three-run bottom of the sixth. And after Wylie evened the score at 8 in the top of the seventh, the Lady Bronchos won the game in the bottom of the frame, scoring the winning run on a bases-loaded error with one out.
PHOTO GALLERY: Cooper-Wylie baseball (54 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie baseball holds off Cooper rally for 5-4 win
The Wylie baseball team took advantage of some shaky Cooper defense to build a 5-1 lead and held off a late Cougar rally for a 5-4 win Friday evening at Bulldog Field.
The Bulldogs, who outhit Cooper 10-5, seemed to be in firm control for most of the ballgame. But the Coogs scored two sixth-inning runs to trim the deficit to 5-3 and had the tying man on second when Wylie reliever Cooper Hrbacek induced a fielder’s choice ground ball for the final out of the game.
GAME RECAP: Cooper softball falls 13-5 at Wolfforth Frenship
WOLFFORTH — The Cooper softball team pounded out 11 hits Thursday, including doubles by Symone Gary, Keiana Kemp and Aliyah Martinez, but it wasn’t enough in a 13-5 nondistrict loss to Wolfforth Frenship.
The Lady Coogs led after the top half of each of the first two innings, scoring two in the first and one in the second, but the Lady Tigers took their first lead with a three-run bottom of the second before taking control with a five-run third.
LOCAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Richland halts Abilene High’s win streak
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — The Abilene High baseball team saw its nine-game winning streak snapped Thursday in a 10-0 road loss to North Richland Hills Richland.
The Eagles (12-4 overall, 1-1 District 3-6A) fell behind 3-0 after an inning and trailed 7-0 after four before the game was ended by the run-rule with a three-run Rebel sixth.
BCP Podcast No. 37: Abilene High softball coach Reese talks team hot start
After making a surprise run to the Region I-6A quarterfinals a year ago, the Abilene High softball team is off to a roaring start to the 2019 season, opening at 15-1-2 overall and 4-0 in District 3-6A play.
This week, second-year Lady Eagles coach Jim Reese took some time to chat with Big Country Preps’ Evan Ren and Daniel Youngblood about the season his team is having, his coaching history and the interesting path he took into the game of softball.
Also in this episode, Evan and Daniel look back at the boys basketball state tournament, preview the upcoming All-Big Country Preps boys and girls basketball teams and discuss the area’s baseball and softball teams to watch.
LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: AHS’ Washington no-hits Haltom, Lady Coogs run-rule Rider
Senior ace Kaylen Washington tossed a five-inning no-hitter and the Abilene High Lady Eagles pounded out 22 hits in a 26-0 win over Haltom City Haltom in a District 3-6A game Tuesday at Abilene Christian University’s Poly Wells Field.
AHS plated nine runs in the first inning, 12 in the second and five in the fourth before the game was ended in the fifth due to the 10-run rule.
PHOTO GALLERY: North Richland Hills Richland-Abilene High baseball (36 images)
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GAME STORY: Johnson’s one-hitter fuels AHS past Richland in 3-6A opener
The Abilene High Eagles only managed one run and two hits Tuesday night in their District 3-6A opener against North Richland Hills Richland. But with the way ace Ryan Johnson was throwing, that was enough offense to open league play with a victory.
Johnson, a senior right-hander, pitched a one-hit shutout at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field to carry AHS to a 1-0 win over the Rebels — the Eagles’ ninth straight victory overall.
GAME RECAP: Hill brilliant once again as Cooper tops Wichita Falls
The Cooper baseball team improved to 2-0 in District 4-5A play on Tuesday, scoring a 6-1 home win over Wichita Falls High on the strength of another pitching gem by senior Braiden Hill.
Hill, who one-hit Wichita Falls Rider in a 4-1 road win last week, was brilliant once again, allowing one unearned run on three hits and five walks while striking out 11 over 6.2 innings.
PHOTO GALLERY: Aledo-Wylie baseball (35 images)
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GAME STORY: No. 11 Aledo holds off Wylie for 8-5 win
The Wylie Bulldogs rallied from an early 6-0 deficit to pull within a run of Aledo in their District 4-5A opener Tuesday, but the No. 11 Bearcats regrouped after that to grind out an 8-5 win at Bulldog Field.
After Wylie had scored four in the fourth to cut the deficit to one at 6-5, Aledo answered with two in the fifth to go back up by three runs and held on from there for the victory.
Big Country Preps Player of the Week: Abilene High ace ‘K-Wash’ nabs award
For the second week in a row, a standout softball pitcher has earned the title of Big Country Preps Player of the Week.
This time, it’s Abilene High senior Kaylen Washington.
“K-Wash,” as she is referred to by coaches and teammates, continued what’s been a dominating season in District 3-6A wins over Hurst Bell (7-0) and San Angelo Central (6-1), helping the Lady Eagles (14-1-2 overall) stay perfect in league play at 3-0.
PHOTO GALLERY: Dallas Madison-Brock boys basketball state championship (30 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Slidell-Jayton boys basketball state championship (34 images)
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LOCAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP: AHS completes 4-0 run through Western Hills tourney
FORT WORTH — The Abilene High baseball team completed a perfect run through the Western Hills tournament Saturday, shutting out North Richland Hills Birdville 5-0 and routing Fort Worth Western Hills 13-2 to finish 4-0 at the event.
The victories improved the Eagles to 11-3, stretching the team’s winning streak to eight games.
GAME STORY: Late free throw lifts Dallas Madison over Brock in 3A title game
SAN ANTONIO — In the end, the Brock Eagles handled everything they were worried about when facing Dallas Madison in the Class 3A state title game.
They neutralized the Trojans’ pressure and kept the turnover margin close. They kept Madison’s vaunted rebounders at bay and won the glass.
There was just one thing missing: The normally sharpshooting Eagles hit just 18 of 45 field goal attempts (40 percent) and were 2 of 13 from the 3-point line in a 49-48 loss in the Alamodome.
GAME STORY: Slidell tops Jayton to capture Class 1A state championship
SAN ANTONIO — A fast start and strong finish propelled Slidell to a 49-36 win over Jayton in the Class 1A state championship game Saturday, ending the Jaybirds’ best season ever one win shy of the ultimate prize.
Making their first state tournament appearance since 1955, the Greyhounds (33-8) used a 13-5 first quarter and an 18-9 fourth period to hold off a scrappy Jaybird squad.
Hunter Horner scored 12 points and Ben McCasland added 11 more to lead Slidell offensively. But it was tournament MVP Slayton Pruett who did most of the damage, hauling in 21 rebounds and blocking five Jayton shots to go with 10 points.